Traditional food as part of life and ceremony

Coming to understand traditinal food is in its own right a spiritual journey. Yes, we take pleasure in eating wild game for it is good nutritious food. Our bodies need this particular food for it is part of our ancestry. Many times i have been told by our elders to make food offerings. This is what is important. It is about reaching back to a memory of our past. For me it has never been about how many creative ways of cooking wild game or fish even though everytime i start cooking it is at the forefront of my thoughts. Rather it is eating this food and honoring the food many times either in ceremony or celebration. It brings us back to our original state to a period that will always be inherent and a period that we will continue to pass on to the next generations. Lets take the moose. This animal is so impoartant to our traditions. We have a responsability to this four legged animal. It is also indigenous to these lands. Protecting the moose and other indigenous species brings us to the realization that in protecting them we also protect the habitat of these great creatures. A habitat that contains their foods and medicines as well as our medicines. Thats why i feel strongly that we need to eat food that our ancestors consumed on a regular basis and what we would now refer to traditional food.